Mar 17, 2017

Philips releases survey findings on how people across the globe prioritize sleep

Survey finds only 1 in 10 employed adults across the globe value their job over a good night’s sleep, but pressures in U.S. seem greater

While over 9 in 10 adults globally believe sleep is crucial to their overall health and wellbeing, more than 8 in 10 adults say that something (including spending time with their spouse/partner, family, friends and job) takes precedence over a good night’s sleep

Manila, Philippines – In celebration of World Sleep Day,Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA) today released its report, “Unfiltered Sleep: A Global Prioritization Puzzle”, which showcases the results of an international survey conducted online in February by Harris Poll on behalf of Philips. The survey looks at how 6,461 adults across five countries (United States, the Netherlands, Germany, France and Japan) perceive, prioritize and prepare for sleep, as well as how sleep impacts daily responsibilities, from work to relationships and hobbies. The survey found that while there is little debate on the value of sleep, individuals face daily demands which compete for time, often leaving sleep diminished in the list of daily priorities. Through these findings, Philips, a global leader in sleep and respiratory care, aims to start a conversation about an important yet oft forgotten pillar of overall health and wellbeing: sleep health.

With a focus on health at its core, Philips understands that good sleep, in addition to eating well and exercising, is one of the key pieces to nurturing a healthy lifestyle. But as daily priorities shift and time becomes scarce, sleep is often the first on the list to be pushed aside. In fact, Philips’ Unfiltered Sleep survey shows more than 8 in 10 adults globally (84 percent) say that a variety of activities take precedence over a good night’s sleep and one could assume these may even get in the way of things like their love life, family, friends and job.

“Sleep is vitally important to the ‘healthy lifestyle’ equation, but it is often cast aside as less important compared to the other fundamental elements such as eating well or exercising,” said Dr. Teofilo Lee-Chiong, sleep clinician and Chief Medical Liaison, Philips. “We need to start thinking of health and wellness as a table with four legs, each of which representing proper nutrition, exercise, positive mental health and sleep – if we’re only focusing on diet and exercise, that table isn’t going to be balanced. Just a single night of sleeping badly can immediately impact our performance, safety and sense of wellbeing – imagine what happens over months or years of not getting enough quality sleep.”

Beyond raising awareness through education about the importance of sleep, Philips is innovating sleep solutions that work together to promote better health – from clinical devices designed to help people with sleep disorders, to lighting solutions to help people start their days naturally. To learn more about the “Unfiltered Sleep: A Global Prioritization Puzzle,” visit Philips.com/WorldSleepDay.

We recognize that sleep is important

Across these five countries, there is little debate that sleep is important to overall wellness. In fact, 92 percent of adults globally say sleep is crucial to their overall health and wellbeing, while many adults also make a direct connection between quality of sleep and the quality of life and relationships. Some key findings include:

We think sleep is important to relationships: Approximately three-quarters of adults globally (74 percent) say good sleep is the key to a happy marriage. This is especially true in Japan (89 percent), followed by the U.S. (79 percent) and the Netherlands (71 percent).

After one bad night’s sleep, we feel the negative impacts: More than 8 in 10 adults globally (82 percent) experience negative impacts following just one bad night’s sleep. Adults in France (87 percent) and Japan (86 percent) are most likely to feel negative impacts. The top three negative impacts reported by adults globally are looking tired (40 percent), being less productive (37 percent) and feeling unmotivated (35 percent).

But there’s still a gap between recognition and reality

More than eight in 10 adults globally (84 percent) say something in their lives is more important than making sure they get a good night’s sleep. Key findings include:

Family time over a good night’s sleep: About half of adults in France (53 percent), along with just under half of adults in the U.S. (46 percent) and Germany (48 percent), say spending time with family is more important than a good night’s sleep.

TV is usually the last thing many do before bed: Adults globally vary in how they spend their time right before bed, but TV is by far the top choice (28 percent). And despite all the literature that screens should be turned off well before sleep, nearly half of adults (47 percent) say screen time (including watching TV, reading on an electronic device, checking email, looking at social media and browsing the web) is the very last thing they do.

“Surveys have shown that health is the most important thing on Filipinos minds but Filipinos are still the most sleep-deprived people in Asia. This disconnect clearly shows that there is a need to educate the public on the impact of sleep on our overall health and wellbeing,” said Urasinee Patarasongkram, Country Manager, Philips Philippines. “Lack of quality sleep not only results in poor productivity and reduced alertness but chronic sleep loss can put you at risk of developing health issues like heart disease, stroke and diabetes.”

Beyond raising awareness through education about the importance of sleep, Philips is innovating sleep solutions that work together to promote better health – from clinical devices designed to help people with sleep disorders, to lighting solutions to help people start their days naturally. To learn more about the “Unfiltered Sleep: A Global Prioritization Puzzle,” visit Philips.com/WorldSleepDay.

Surveys have shown that health is the most important thing on Filipinos minds but Filipinos are still the most sleep-deprived people in Asia. This disconnect clearly shows that there is a need to educate the public on the impact of sleep on our overall health and wellbeing. Lack of quality sleep not only results in poor productivity and reduced alertness but chronic sleep loss can put you at risk of developing health issues like heart disease, stroke and diabetes.

Urasinee Patarasongkram

Country Manager, Philips Philippines

About Royal Philips

Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA) is a leading health technology company focused on improving people's health and enabling better outcomes across the health continuum from healthy living and prevention, to diagnosis, treatment and home care. Philips leverages advanced technology and deep clinical and consumer insights to deliver integrated solutions. Headquartered in the Netherlands, the company is a leader in diagnostic imaging, image-guided therapy, patient monitoring and health informatics, as well as in consumer health and home care. Philips' health technology portfolio generated 2016 sales of EUR 17.4 billion and employs approximately 71,000 employees with sales and services in more than 100 countries. News about Philips can be found at www.philips.com/newscenter.

About the Survey

This survey was conducted online by Harris Poll on behalf of Philips from February 15-17, 2017 among 2,055 adults ages 18 and older in the U.S., among 1,055 adults ages 18 and older in France, among 1,016 adults ages 18 and older in Germany, among 1,021 adults ages 18 and older in the Netherlands, and among 1,314 adults ages 18 and older in Japan. This online survey is not based on a probability sample and therefore no estimate of theoretical sampling error can be calculated. For complete survey methodology, including weighting variables, please contact Meredith Amoroso at meredith.amoroso@philips.com.